20 Stellar End-of-Summer Movies

No. 20 “G.I. Joe”
Although the film may not be getting rave reviews for its script, it’s undeniable that the Channing Tatum action movie features some of the coolest special effects of the year. Aug. 7Watch the trailer

No. 19 “Julie & Julia”
Meryl Streep’s had great luck with women-centric comedies over the last few years, but “Julie & Julia” has two extra things working in its favor: the always-amazing and alliterative Amy Adams and some of the most mouth-watering culinary treats ever captured on film. Aug. 7Watch the trailer

No. 18 “Taking Woodstock”
Finding out how Woodstock almost didn’t happen is way more interesting than seeing modern-day stars mimic Jimmy Hendricks and Janis Joplin. The film also boasts two star-making performances — everyone will be talking about Demetri Martin and Jonathan Groff.Aug. 28Watch the trailer

No. 17 “The Time Traveler’s Wife”
This movie is like the world’s biggest lollipop since I’m a sucker for Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, and crying at the movies. Aug. 14Watch the trailer

No. 15 “Carriers”
Chris Pine kicked off the summer by taking us back to the future with “Star Trek” and now he’s coming back down to earth with an unsettingly timely tale about a global pandemic. Sept. 4Watch the trailer

No. 14 “Gamer”
Gerard Butler stars in the latest action movie from “Crank” masterminds Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. But with John Leguizamo, Michael C. Hall and Kyra Sedgwick also on board, you know there’s more to this really live-action role playing game than meets the eye. Sept. 4Watch the trailer

No. 12 “Splice”
I’m dubious this movie will actually make this release date since there hasn’t been even a hint of a trailer. Still, I’m dying to see Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley as two rebellious scientists who defy their oath of ethics by splicing together human and animal DNA. Sept. 18

No. 11 “Cold Souls”
Paul Giamatti gets his own version of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” but instead of extracting memories, this movie deals with storing souls. Aug. 7Watch the trailer

No. 10 “Pandorum”
In the grand tradition of “2001,” “Alien” and any other “in space no one can hear you scream” movie, Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster star as astronauts who wake up with no memories — including where they are or what’s trying to kill them. Sept. 18Watch the trailer

NO. 9 “Extract”
Learning any movie is from the creator of “Office Space” is usually enough to guarantee I’ll be earmarking $10, but when you add in Jason Bateman as the film’s put-upon protagonist and Kristen Wiig as his wife, there’s a pretty good chance I’ll be coming back multiple times. Sept. 4Watch the trailer

No. 8 “The Final Destination”
I have an undeniable attraction to the “Final Destination” franchise. So kill me. Except this time, do it in 3-D! Aug. 28Watch the trailer

No. 7 “The September Issue”
The year’s most anticipated documentary follows Vogue editor Anna Wintour as she assembles the magazine’s annual fall fashion issue. Sounds simple, right? Well, just remember that those suckers tend to weigh more than the 6-year-old babies who go on Maury Povich. Sept. 11Watch the trailer

No.6 “The Informant!”
Matt Damon gained 30 pounds to play a witless FBI informant in this Steven Soderbergh directed film that skewers corporate America. Will he gain about 15 more pounds come February when The Oscars are handed out? Perhaps! Sept. 18Watch the trailer

No. 5 “Jennifer’s Body”
Megan Fox stars as a cheerleader who gets possessed and develops a taste for boys. But in a George Romero, “Dawn of the Dead” kind of way. Amanda Seyfried jumps into the fray as Jennifer’s best friend, Needy Lesnicky. With a name like that, you know Diablo Cody wrote the script! Sept. 18Watch the trailer

No. 4 “9”
Take “Wall-E’s” world-ending waste problem, throw in “The Matrix’s” fight for human survival add a dash of classic Tim Burton imagery, and you have “9,” the latest stop-motion animated to make Pixar quake in their booties. Sept. 11Watch the trailer

No. 2 “The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard”
I was quite dubious about this Jeremy Piven film, which deals with car salesmen, but after watching the trailer and one hilarious R-rated clip in which Kathryn Hahn’s character sells a car using nothing but sex appeal, there’s a good chance we have another “Hangover” on our hands. Aug. 14Watch the trailer

No. 1 “District 9″
Alien invasions and summer blockbusters go together like popcorn and M&Ms. But what if instead of world domination, the ETs simply wanted to share our planet? Well, according to the film we’d cordon them off in slum-like housing and take advantage of their technology. Bound to be the summer’s most unlikely hit — and the rare sci-fi film that will have every single person talking. Aug. 14Watch the trailer